Les Jeux Mystèrieux: The Mysterious Games
Max: Last Episode, Anne very narrowly escaped getting eaten by a giant sea serpent!
Kat: Hey! That didn't happ-
Jeff: Oh my god! Max actually told the TRUTH!!!
Max: Thanks.
Nick: And it appears that Anne has genuine blessings from the gods.
Luna: Technically the GOD…
Janna: Gotta love those monotheistic religions that worship tigers.
Chris: I like tigers!
Episode 9: Kesshite kimi-tachi o tasukete kureru na! (Of course I'll save you guys!)
(After their brush with serpentine death, our motley trio continues their journey to Mt. Taikyoku.)
Tokaki: Well, wasn't that refreshing?
Subaru: No! No it wasn't! We almost got killed!
Tokaki: That was so not my fault! It was fine until that sea serpent showed up!
Anne: And things just went downhill from there.
Tokaki: Just be quiet. It was a good idea while it lasted!
Subaru: And it lasted for a pitiful amount of time.
Anne: OK, now we're beyond that lake, we can continue on our journey.
Tokaki: Yes. That is a good idea! And stop harassing me!
Subaru: But it's so fun.
*************
(The darkened pentagram room…again.)
Person 1: (older masculine voice) Is there any news?
Person 3: (sultry masculine voice) Yes. My spies report that the Priestess has survived the lake demon. In fact, they say it appears that she killed it herself.
Person 5: (young feminine voice) So what does that mean for us?
Person 4: (young masculine voice) Um…we lose?
Person 2: (seductive feminine voice) No. My assassins will not fail this time.
Person 1: Are you sure that they are prepared to fight the Celestial Warriors?
Person 3: Yes. My agent at the lake reported that the boy is a master of close combat and has the power of teleportation. The girl has some power that she hesitates to use…it has to do with aging, and reportedly is activated by touch. And of course, the Priestess is powerless.
Person 5: She is powerless? Did you not say something about her killing the demon herself?
Person 3: Yes, but it was not her exactly. There was a large beam of light that destroyed the serpent.
Person 4: Whoa! What caused that?
Person 3: I doubt that it was her doing.
Person 1: So, your assassins will finish the job?
Person 2: Yes, I have handpicked the assassins specifically to get the job done based on the Celestial Warrior's powers. The assassins cannot fail this time.
Person 1: Good. See that they do not.
Person 5: If we are finished, let us pray.
*************
(Our happy little group has entered the area on the outskirts of Sailo, with many small towns, and a few large ones as well. The town reached by nightfall is not large enough to have an inn, but the people are nice enough to give them board at their houses.)
Woman: Please, stay in my house!
Man: No! Stay in mine!
Woman: I'll give you your own rooms!
Man: I'll move out!
Woman: I'll give the house to you!
Man: I'll give you the house and be your personal servant!
Woman: I'll…shit.
Anne: I could get used to this whole Priestess of Byakko thing.
Subaru: Listen! The Priestess does not want you to give her your houses!
Tokaki: Yeah! We just need a place to stay!
Woman: Yes! Take my house! It's clean!
Man: Your furniture is crumbling!
Woman: Your bathroom is unsanitary!
Man: You don't have a bathroom!
Anne: Here we go again…
(Finally, Anne finds a nice young man who is willing to let them stay at his house without getting all manic about it.)
Subaru: Plus, he's really cute!
(Um…yeah. So, the group stays at the guy's house for one night, and then they are ready to leave…)
Woman: Please, Priestess of Byakko! Sanctify our temple!
Anne: What?
Man: Bless it with your holy presence!
Tokaki: Hear that, Anne? You're holy now!
Anne: No, I don't get it. What do I do?
Woman: You just bless it. Nothing to it.
Anne: Um…ok.
(So Anne visits the small village temple, which is, rather unsurprisingly, rather small.)
Anne: (whispering) So what should I do?
Subaru: (whispering) Just wave your hands around and talk about giving Byakko's blessings.
Anne: All right! (waves her hands around randomly) I bless this temple in the name of Byakko!
(Tumultuous cheers erupt from the gathered crowd around the temple.
Tokaki: Look, Anne. You have a fan club.
Anne: Ok, I'm done blessing. Can we go?
(The three leave the village, but this whole blessing thing is eating away at Anne, for some reason.)
Anne: Why would they want me to bless them? I didn't do anything!
Tokaki: It's just the IDEA of blessing.
Anne: No, but I didn't even do that! I deliberately lied to those people!
Subaru: Um…how?
Anne: Well, I said I would bless their temple, and I didn't!
Tokaki: Who says you didn't?
Anne: What?
Subaru: Yeah! Maybe they just wanted you to go in and then leave. If you're really that holy, that should be enough of a blessing as it is.
Tokaki: As I said, it's just the idea.
Anne: I don't know…I still feel a bit odd about it.
Subaru: Don't! You're over it, no more blessings for you!
Anne: Yeah…I guess that does help a bit.
(But every town that the group comes to, the people are saying the same thing: )
Multitude of people: SANCTIFY OUR TEMPLES PRIESTESS OF BYAKKO!!!!
Anne: AAAAAAARRRRGH!!!!!
(After a day of this, Anne is already on the verge of snapping. She's relaxing in the inn…sorta relaxing, at least.)
Anne: Honestly, everywhere I go, it's always "Priestess, sanctify our temple," or "Priestess, bless our home," or "Priestess, autograph my butt!" I can't take it anymore!
Tokaki: Wait, what was that last thing?
Anne: What last thing?
Subaru: (sighs) Well, at least you're making them happy.
Anne: True, but honestly. I'm not DOING ANYTHING!!!! I'm just walking in there and being like "Whooopee, instant sanctification."
Tokaki: So?
Anne: IT'S DRIVING ME NUTS!!! I swear, if this is what I'm gonna have to do the rest of this trip, I'm gonna snap one of these days.
Subaru: Well…honestly, Anne, it's not that bad.
Anne: Yeah…maybe I'm just making a big deal out of nothing. I'm just feeling kinda stressed right now. I mean, yesterday I realized that the fate of a whole world is sitting on my shoulders, and-
Tokaki: Actually, it's only this country's fate.
Anne: (ignoring Tokaki) And, that, I might have died yesterday! Died! I don't know if this whole book thing is real or not, but I don't want to find out that way! I-no, we could die in this book! We'd never see our families again! I don't know about you two, but I don't wanna die!
Subaru+Tokaki: …
Anne: (sighs) Yeah, so I'm just running this through my head, and it's stressing me out. I mean, really, I should be happy that I can make so many people happy by doing absolutely nothing.
Subaru: See, there you go! Happy again?
Anne: Sorta. I would be except for the fact that there are people that are out to kill me…
Tokaki: Well, that's what we're here for. I mean, the Celestial Warriors are here to protect you.
Anne: Yeah, that REALLY makes me feel better.
Tokaki: Hush. I'm going to bed now; you should too. (Tokaki gets up and returns to his room)
Subaru: Don't worry. I'm here to protect you.
*************
(It's morning-time again. Subaru is trying desperately to wake Tokaki up, but is failing miserably.)
Subaru: Anne! He won't wake up!
Anne: (sighing) I can't help you! Maybe if one of the guys were here, then that would be a different story…Oh, wait. Remember how he woke you up?
Subaru: Eww!!! Do I actually have to do that???
Anne: It's worth a try.
Subaru: Fiiiine…(hesitantly licks her finger, and then slowly sticks it into Tokaki's ear.)
(Tokaki sits up straight)
Tokaki: DAMN! I'm up! That was…ewww!
Anne: You did it to her.
Tokaki: Yeah…so?
(Downstairs in the inn, Anne desperately tries to pay for their stay, but it is to no avail.)
Anne: This goes against all of my values!!!
Inn-Running-Guy: I refuse to let you pay.
Tokaki+Subaru: (sigh)
(Suddenly, a little girl runs up to Anne and tugs on her dress.)
Little Girl: Um…miss…Priestess…
Anne: Yes? Awww, that's so cute!
Little Girl: I have a message for you!
Tokaki: You do???
Little Girl: (to Tokaki) Yeah, I do. You gotta problem with that? (back to Anne) Um…well…my big brother…he saw this guy…north of here in Qu-Siao…there's a guy…with a white symbol on his hand!
Subaru: A guy???
Tokaki: You don't think…
Anne: It could be Jeff, Max or Nick…
Tokaki: I seriously hope its Nick or Max. Jeff would just depress us.
Little Girl: I'm sorry to waste your time! (bows more than 90 degrees)
Anne: Whoa! Calm down! You'll fall over! And you didn't waste our time! In fact, that info was really helpful!
Little Girl:…really?
Tokaki: Really!
Little Girl: (to Tokaki) Shut up, dumbass. (to Anne) I'm so glad to have been of help! (runs out the door)
Anne: What a nice little girl!
Subaru: And she even told us about a Celestial Warrior!
Tokaki: Were you people even listening to what she said???
Anne: So, I guess we should go to Qu-Siao before Mt. Taikyoku.
Subaru: Yeah! One more person would be great!
Tokaki: That little girl had serious attitude problems!
Anne: OK, let's go!
Subaru: Yeah!
Tokaki: YOU PEOPLE SUCK!
*************
(Anne, Subaru and Tokaki ride north towards Qu-Siao. Qu-Siao is not a small town; it is a big city, about half the size of Shijuen.)
Anne: OK…so how are we gonna find the third Warrior?
Tokaki: Magic!
Subaru: Don't joke. This city is big. We can't just snap our fingers and he'll appear.
(Anne starts snapping her fingers. Tokaki and Subaru look at her oddly and she stops)
Anne: Sorry. It was worth a shot.
Tokaki: No, it wasn't!
Subaru: OK, seriously. We can either split up…
Anne: Or?
Subaru: Not split up! (Anne and Tokaki fall over) Well, those are our two options.
Tokaki: We'd cover more ground if we split up, but we have no way of contacting the others if we find him.
Anne: True…let's stay together. Maybe he'll be drawn to us, like Subaru was to me.
Subaru: OK, so where should we start?
Anne: Simple. We go to where I have to anyway.
Tokaki: The bathroom?
Anne: NO! THE TEMPLE!!!
Subaru: Oh, smart. They would probably know if he's in the city.
(Anne, Subaru and Tokaki wander around the city for about 30 minutes before they find the temple to Byakko. It's better looking than the little village temples, but not big as Shijuen's, obviously.)
Anne: It sure is refreshing to see a nice-looking temple for once.
Tokaki: OK, let's go! I want another guy in this group!
(The three enter the temple. Surprisingly, it is rather immaculate inside, totally unlike Shijuen's. There are a remarkably few amount of priests in the temple…in fact there, is all of one.)
Priest: Welcome to the temple of Byakko. Can I bless you, heal you, or soothe your soul?
Subaru: Nope, not today, thanks.
Tokaki: Have you seen a Celestial Warrior of Byakko around here lately?
Anne: You're so blunt!
Priest: A…Celestial Warrior? (becoming suspicious) Why do you wish to know?
Anne: Um, I'm kinda the Priestess of Byakko.
Priest: (eyes widening) Oh, my! Please, forgive me for my suspicions! (bows prostate on the ground)
Subaru: OK, you can stop now. Have you seen him or not?
Priest: (standing up) I assume that you mean Tatara?
Anne: Tatara…that's one of the names that the Emperor said.
Tokaki: Oh, you have seen him! Where is he?
Priest: Last I saw, he was out in the back garden.
Subaru: Gardening?
Anne: Which of us would like to garden?
Tokaki: Definitely not Nick…and I doubt Max or Jeff would either.
Anne: Odd…oh well, let's go check it out. How do you get out to the garden?
Priest: That door over there leads to the back hallway. You can exit to the garden from the second door on the left.
Subaru: OK, thanks.
(The three, very excited, open the door to the back hallway, and then quickly open the second door on the left. The "garden" is a tiny courtyard, with an open roof. The courtyard only has one exit; the one that they're entering. The entire courtyard has been converted into an extremely lush and flowing garden, with rows upon rows of large plants and flowers. At the far end, a boy with long black hair is kneeling next a smaller plant, his back to the trio. In front of him, a plant mysteriously appears to grow at an insanely fast rate, growing before their eyes into a 5-foot sprout)
Tokaki: NO WAY!!!! NICK?????
(The boy turns around, surprised. Yes, it is Nick. His eyes open wider than anyone ever thought possible)
Nick: Chris???? Anne? Luna??? What…
Anne: Nick! You're here!
Nick: (standing up) But…you guys are here too! How did this happen???
Anne: It's a long story. Basically, I found myself in this new, Chinese world. I met the Emperor of Sailo, and he told me I was the Priestess of Byakko, and had to gather the seven Warriors of Byakko to summon Byakko and save the world.
Nick: Whoa…YOU'RE the Priestess of Byakko? Crazy! They just told me I was this Celestial Warrior…
Tokaki: Yeah, it gets better. See, me and Luna are the Celestial Warriors Tokaki and Subaru, respectively too!
Nick: Tokaki? And…SUBARU?
Subaru: Say it and I will kill you.
Anne: So, wait, your power is over plants?
Nick: Yeah, I'm just really good with them…and I can make them grow.
Tokaki: Funny. See, Subaru can make people younger or older by touching them, and I can teleport.
Nick: COOOOL!!! I'm so jealous…so what happened to you guys before this?
Anne: Well, Tokaki and I ran into these soldiers, which punched me and almost killed me. Luckily, Subaru found us and used her power to return my body to its yesterday state. After that, we were attacked by an assassin, which Subaru managed to age hundreds of years.
Subaru: Of course, it knocked me unconscious…but hey. So then we went on this boat ride, one of Tokaki's brilliant ideas, and were almost killed by a sea serpent.
Tokaki: It was fun until that snake tried to eat us!
Nick: (laughing) That sounds pretty funny…so where are you guys headed next?
Anne: We're going to Mt. Taikyoku, and you're coming with us!
Nick: Oh…I am?
Tokaki: Of course! Once Anne finds all seven of us Celestial Warriors, we can go home!
Nick: Oh…I see. It's just that…it's nice just staying here.
Subaru: What are you talking about? We have to save Sailo here!
Nick: Yeah, of course! What was I thinking? Of course I'll come with you.
Anne: So, where's your symbol?
Nick: Oh, that? It's on my right hand.
(Nick holds up his hand to reveal the white symbol for "lasso" on the top of his right hand)
Nick: I'm the Byakko Celestial Warrior, Tatara.
Subaru: Yes! Our third Warrior!
Tokaki: Finally, another guy!
Anne: So, when do you want to leave?
Tatara: Um…is it OK if we wait until tomorrow?
Tokaki: What for?
Tatara: Well, I've gotten kinda attached to this garden…I'll meet you guys tomorrow morning at the front gates.
Anne: Sure. In that case, we'll see you tomorrow!
Tatara: Yup!
*************
(Anne, Subaru and Tokaki have rented two rooms in Qu-Siao's inn.)
Anne: Wow, that's so cool! To have found my third Warrior before Mt. Taikyoku!
Subaru: Yeah, and to have it be Nick is a nice plus.
Tokaki: Why didn't he want to stay with us tonight? That's so unlike him…
Subaru: Well, he is gardening…Nick would never garden. Maybe he's been smoking the plants.
Anne: Apparently, Tatara wants to stay somewhere he knows and likes for one last night.
Tokaki: But still…that's really odd. I'll have to beat some sense into him tomorrow. I'm going to sleep.
Anne: OK. Good night.
Tokaki: Good night.
(Tokaki retires to his room, and all three friends go to sleep.)
(Much later, a cloaked figure slowly opens Tokaki's window. The figure climbs into the room just as silently as the last and draws a knife from an invisible pocket. The figure calmly places the knife point at the center of Tokaki's chest…)
(Meanwhile, another assassin has entered Anne and Subaru's room, and draws his knife to stab at Subaru's unguarded neck. Subaru's eyes open hesitantly, and then when she sees the assassin, she screams, waking up Anne.)
Anne: OH MY GOD!!! Why do assassins always attack us when we're staying at inns???
(Anne throws herself at the assassin, trying to screw up his attack. However, the assassin has already moved, in an extremely quick fashion, and Anne ends up sprawling to the ground.)
(In Tokaki's room, Anne's scream wakes up Tokaki, who is about to be disemboweled. He instantly teleports away, sensing the danger of a knife pressed against his chest. However, as soon as he reappears, the assassin is moving, moving too fast for Tokaki to see. An instant later, the assassin reappears behind Tokaki, his knife placed against his neck. Tokaki teleports again, this time reappearing with his back against the wall. But he still can't see the assassin, who is moving too fast…)
Kat: What the heck??? The title of these chapters are screwed up!
Nick: I know! I didn't even save them!
Chris: Like you could. They're moving too fast for me to see!
Janna: I think your eyes just suck.
Jeff: Yeah, Nick's glasses would probably let him see things you can't.
Max: I should have been the guy they found…
Anne: Whatever. Make sure to tune in for the next episode, "Kokoro no tsuyosa,"
Luna: The artist formerly known as "The Strength of the Heart."